Clipped Pedals, are they right for you?

When you start out riding a bike you need the freedom to be able to quickly put your feet on the ground. The ability to do this and being able to reach the floor helps avoid unnecessary accidents.

When you begin your journey into Triathlon, or any of the multi-discipline events where you have a transition from bike to run, the question will arise. Should you stay with a flat pedal and trainers or should you progress to clipless pedals?

What are clip in or Clipless pedals?

Clipless pedals are actually a system comprised of special pedals and cleats. The cleats attach the cycling shoes to the special pedal. If you decide to upgrade to clipless you will need both pedals and special cycling shoes that fit the pedals.

What difference do clip in pedals make?

Being clipped into your pedals will not only help you feel more at one with the bike but will enable you to pedal more efficiently. Your feet are less likely to slip off as you pedal or shift your weight around. Being clipped into your pedals allows a more fluid cycling action and therefore more power through the legs. This manifests itself in greater speed. So “yes” is the answer to the question, will clipless pedals make you faster.

However,….. there is more to consider when racing in a multi-discipline event as you will have to factor in the time to change shoes. You will have to set aside time to practice using the clipless system as it might take a while to adjust to this new way of pedalling. It is a very common mistake to forget that you are clipped to your bike. As the bike stops, your feet are not free to rest on the ground and you fall sideways. Usually more embarrassing for the cyclists than painful.

It is worth checking before you race, the type of surface that you will be racing on. Quite often in junior races the surface is grass, this is very slippery when wet or muddy. The clip pedal system for a road bike is different to that of a mountain bike. You may prefer not to place a clipped system on a mountian bike and this might be the better option when racing on grass?

If you have ever watched the pros race in a Triathlon , you will see that they fix their shoes into their pedals. They use little elastic bands to keep the pedal/shoe flat so that they can exit transition and slip their feet into their cycling shoes while on the move. Something to aspire to.

Perseverance is key here, as you will no doubt have one or two tumbles while you are learning. Most cyclists do, some experienced cyclists still do!

Ady Dench wrote this great article in 2018 for 220Triathlon Magazine on the advantages of the clipless system in Triathlon.

https://www.220triathlon.com/training/bike-training/what-are-the-advantages-of-using-clipless-pedals/

Happy speedy transitions everyone. Next blog will discuss Body glide, what is it? and how this can be a life saver if you have decided to race without socks.